The Colorado governor’s race remains in flux as a new poll shows Republican Bob Beauprez taking a lead against Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper in the final days.

The Quinnipiac University survey gives Beauprez 45 percent to 40 percent for Hickenlooper, a lead outside the 3.4 percent margin of error. It reflects a reversal from a week earlier in the poll show the two candidates deadlocked, Hickenlooper at 45 percent and Beauprez at 44 percent.

For the past month, the poll’s numbers showed the race all over the place, from the Republican plus-10 points in mid-September to a closer contest in October, drawing plenty of scrutiny about the results. The survey doesn’t fit the pattern seen in other recent polls that show Hickenlooper with the advantage and what is behind the shift is unclear.

But the poll does come at an interesting point in the campaign — days after Beauprez launched a fear-laden television ad that asks, “With John Hickenlooper as governor … is your family safe?” Whether the poll reflects any movement from the ad is sure to draw speculation.

One interesting number from the polling breakdown is a change in Hickenlooper’s image. A week ago, his favorability stood at 51 percent and unfavorability at 42 percent. Now, it’s 46-46, the poll found.

Republican gubernatorial nominee Bob Beauprez at a prior debate with Gov. John Hickenlooper. (William Woody, Special to The Denver Post.)

Not only did Bob Beauprez go to great lengths to defend his much-criticized attack ad in the final gubernatorial debate Friday, the Republican next blamed Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper for injecting it into the conversation.

A screenshot from Republican Cynthia Coffman’s first TV commercial in the attorney general’s race caught by her opponent.

Republican Cynthia Coffman released her first television ad in the state attorney general’s race Wednesday with an unfortunate mistake caught by her opponent.

As Coffman outlined her goals for the office in the 30-second spot, the typography on the screen read: “Fight those who pray on children.” (Our emphasis added.)

Democrat Don Quick’s campaign caught the mistake and blasted out a screen shot. “After reviewing the ad, I wonder if Ms. Coffman knows how to spell ‘murder,’ ‘public corruption’ or ‘sexual assault,’ since she’s never prosecuted those crimes either,” Quick said in a statement.

Coffman’s campaign caught the mistake and fixed it to “prey” later Wednesday.

The exchange comes as these down-ballot candidates fight for TV space in an increasingly crowded election season.

UPDATED: Add another abortion spot to the oppressive political advertising hitting Colorado television screens.

Once reserved for the U.S. Senate race, the abortion and birth control issue is becoming prominent in the governor’s race with a new million-dollar ad attacking Republican candidate Bob Beauprez.

“This is the race that matters,” the ad starts, featuring footage of women running in mountain terrain. “The one Colorado women can’t afford to lose. We can’t give Bob Beauprez the power to be governor.”

Colorado’s Senate candidates continue to battle for the key swing constituency on issues such as abortion and birth control.

Democrat Mark Udall started the week with a TV ad lamenting that “we are still debating a woman’s access to abortion or birth control” in 2014. He goes on to criticize Republican rival Cory Gardner for “promoting harsh anti-abortion laws and a bill to outlaw birth control.”

As if he’s just read the news, Democratic state Rep. Joe Miklosi begins his first TV ad by folding a newspaper in half and stating to a group seated with him at a restaurant table that “every day there’s another story about how Congress is more unpopular than ever.”

In the 30-second spot titled “When,” Miklosi wastes no time charging that Republican Rep. Mike Coffman is a “Tea Party” congressman “who wants to end Medicare and outlaw abortions.”

“This is what they’re focusing on while American jobs are shipped to China and India,” says Miklosi, who is vying to unseat the two-term incumbent in the 6th Congressional District. “It’s time we bring Colorado common sense back to Washington.”

For a candidate who is relatively unknown in the district, Miklosi mentions nothing about himself, instead he focuses on Coffman and a U.S. Congress with less than favorable approval ratings.

Officials with Miklosi’s campaign said the ad will air on network TV for at least two weeks, and it comes on the heels of two ads already released by the Coffman campaign this month.

The 30-second ad, produced by the East Coast-based SKDKnickerbocker communications company, will begin airing Tuesday. It is a nod to a 2005 commercial featuring former Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, who was campaigning for the passage of state Referenda C & D by jumping out of a plane.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.